City Mayor Datuk Seri Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz today clarified that there was no such things as white elephant projects in the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) area as reported by local media.

However, he said there were several projects developed for the convenience of the public, which were not only underutilised, but also vandalised, to the extent of being suspended.

"For example, 20 automatic public toilets were made available around the city in 2006, but only six remained operational in 2012 with the system changed to manual," he told a press conference here today.

Apart from the toilets, the media report also touched on the alleged white elephant projects, including the Tun Sambanthan Complex in Brickfields, Flood Warning Balloon project in Kampung Kasipillay, Jalan Ipoh, Elevated Parking Complex in Brickfields and the Urban Orchard Park project in Jalan Bellamy.

On the Tun Sambanthan Complex, Mhd Amin Nordin said the DBKL had been relocating the roadside hawkers around Brickfields into the complex since last Sunday.

"The parking spaces in front of the complex have been made available for use free of charge by the DBKL, but city dwellers still prefer to park their vehicles in front on the buildings in Little India, hence causing traffic congestion," he said.

The mayor also explained that the Flood Warning Balloon project in Kampung Kasipillay had to be suspended for maintenance due to vandalism.

On the Elevated Parking Complex in Brickfields, Mhd Amin Nordin said the project was delayed due to the ongoing Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) pipework, while the Urban Orchard Park, although underutilised, was still operational and open to public.

"City dwellers are welcome to make optimum use of the park for any recreational activities. We also have workers who clean and manage the park," he said. -- BERNAMA